Dolls and plush toys have for many years been a popular toy category which manufacturers of toy products have pursued with wide ranging effort. As a result, a virtually endless variety of dolls and plush toys have been produced assuming human and animal forms as well as fantasy characters. The fabrication of such dolls and plush toys has also enjoyed substantial development and, as a result, constructions using molded figures as well as fabric covered figures and plush material figures have been provided. Perhaps one of most difficult features of such dolls and plush toys to successfully fabricate is found in the eyes of the figure. Because eyes often dominate the "look" or character and impact of dolls and toy figures, great effort is expended to provide the desired appearance. In many dolls replicating human infants or human children for example, the objective is maximum realism to produce an eye which closely resembles the human eye. In other figures such as fanciful plush replicating fanciful creatures, animals or persons, the emotional appeal or character of the eye often dominates and supersedes realism.
Because the eye construction represents an important factor in the success of dolls and plush figures, practitioners in the art have endeavored to provide a variety of simulated eyes having different appearances. In addition, related technology and effort has been expended in the more serious sciences dedicated to producing realistic artificial eyes for human eye replacement. As a result, a variety of wide ranging efforts have been directed toward fabrication of different simulated eyes throughout several industries.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,268,885 issued to Sampson sets forth an ARTIFICIAL EYE AND METHOD OF FITTING THE SAME having a thin convex artificial member supporting a simulated pupil near the center thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,289,643 issued to Burlich sets forth an SIMULATED EYE having a generally spherical eye body coupled to a support post and having a simulated iris and pupil formed therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,337,354 issued to Garrigue sets forth a TOY having simulated eyes formed by hemispherical bodies supported upon a generally planar circular disk and support post for attachment.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,740,675 issued to Wilhelm sets forth ARTIFICIAL EYES having a hollow generally spherical shell defining a center aperture within which a simulated pupil and iris are supported. A clear lens is secured to the shell and fitted within the aperture to simulate a cornea.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,763,312 issued to Marcus sets forth an ARTIFICIAL EYE having a spherical hollow shell defining a circular recess near the center portion thereof. A plurality of planar and annular disks are received within the recess and support a simulated pupil and iris. A clear simulated cornea overlies the simulated iris.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,832,743 issued to Shuldiner sets forth an ARTIFICIAL ANIMAL EYE having an elongated somewhat elliptical support shell within which a simulated cornea and pupil are secured. A center post is secured to the underside of the shell at its approximate center for attachment of the eye.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,051,876 issued to Marcus sets forth a DOLL EYE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME having a spherical hollow body supporting a simulated cornea and iris and pupil and having a planar attachment plate secured to the rear portion thereof which receives a transversely extending attachment post.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,394,400 issued to Noles sets forth a METHOD 0F MAKING ARTIFICIAL EYES having a convex body defining a center recess within which a simulated pupil and iris are received and having a simulated cornea extending thereacross.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,497,872 issued to Erph, et al. sets forth an ARTIFICIAL EYE having a simulated iris and pupil formed by a plurality of disk members secured in a stacked array.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,634,423 issued to Clarke sets forth an ARTIFICIAL EYE AND METHOD OF ATTACHING SAME having an eye body secured at the center point thereof by a plurality of flexible fibers or cords encircling a transversely extending post.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,580,583 issued to Noelle sets forth an ARTIFICIAL EYE having a convex simulated eye body having a plurality of planar disks some defining apertures therethrough configured to simulate an iris and pupil.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,571,721 issued to Jardon sets forth an ARTIFICIAL EYE having a hemispherical body which receives and supports a tapered convex simulated eye facing. Means are provided for securing the hemispherical body during attachment.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,589,462 issued Wagner sets forth a DOLL'S EYE having a hemispherical eye body including a rearwardly extending attachment post and a facet formed on the center front surface thereof. A simulated iris and pupil as well as simulated highlight element are painted upon the front surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,791,869 issued to Wagner sets forth DOLL'S EYES having a generally hemispherical eye body formed of a transparent material and supporting a rearwardly extending attachment post.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,092,931 issued to Samo sets forth a DOLL EYE having a generally spherical body supporting a transversely extending support post and having a simulated iris and pupil formed therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,846,199 issued to Cappelli sets forth an ARTIFICIAL EYE AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION having a convexly curved body defining a center recess within which a plurality of disk-shaped elements having apertures formed therein are received. A simulated cornea is further received within the recess and secures the disks in position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,445 issued to Liebert sets forth a SIMULATED EYE CONSTRUCTION having a cup-shaped transparent body supporting an embedded flat wafer near the apex of the transparent body.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,673 issued to Nasca sets forth an ARTIFICIAL EYE including a sclera for insertion into an eye socket. The sclera defines a cavity therein for forming the pupil of the eye and is made of a soft elastic material having a transparent cornea.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,442 issued to Samo sets forth an ARTIFICIAL EYE FOR DOLL having two generally spherical halves secured together by solvent or adhesive formed of clear glass or plastic in which the front half supports an internal surface supporting eye components.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,159 issued to Kulis sets forth an ARTIFICIAL EYE having a generally cup-shaped member including a protruding transparent first lens portion having a convex outer face and a concave inner face. A transparent second lens member is positioned in the cup-shaped member behind the first lens portion together with a reflective structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,531 issued to Kuhn sets forth SYNTHETIC EYE SIMULATING EYEBALL MOVEMENT within a toy figure which create an optical illusion giving the appearance of eyeball movement as the observer changes position with respect to the figure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,888 issued to Harvey sets forth an EYE CONSTRUCTION FOR TOY DOLL having a substantially circular concentric pupil and iris portion together with a white portion encircling the iris and a transparent cover overlying the white portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,392 issued to Gordon sets forth a PROSTHETIC EYE having a spherical body shaped to replicate a natural eye which is provided with receiving regions extending radially from the eye and tabs for attachment to the eye muscles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,344 issued to Secrist sets forth a REALISTIC UNIVERSAL FITTING PLASTIC DOLL EYE having a cup-shaped outer body supporting a similarly cup-shaped interior body. The outer body defines a convex simulated cornea while the inner body supports a simulated iris formed on an annular disk. The inner body is fitted within the outer body to captivate the simulated iris beneath the cornea portion of the outer body.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have provided a great variety of simulated eye structures, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore interesting and improved simulated eyes for use in dolls and plush toy figures.